Well-pipe head



Aug. 31, 1926.

H. P. SCANLON ET AL WELL PIPE HEAD Filed Dec;` 18, 1922 Patented 3l, 1.926.

UNITED STATES PATENT-cruce'.

ma' r. scimnonjor 1.01m BEACH, Lnonnnn n WALKER, 'or wnrr'rinn, Nn

JOHN nnrrrnaroan, or Lone saen, CALIFORNIA. l

i wann-run nnen.

appueaann mea-meente;- is', 1922.- .seriai Maumee.

This invention relates to headsy` for well pipes; and although the invention is not restricted to oil Wells and can be used on gas A and water Wells, its largest use at present, is

3 in connection with oil and. gas wells and ac-v cordingly the following description will be given in; that connection.

In oil and a's wells 1t has been common to use a -num` r of concentric well; pipes. For instance, there is always, at least one string of casing and tlfen a tubing inside' the casing.; and in the majority of instances" l there are several strings of casing one withpacking andis easily applied. In our defv 3l in the other with the tubing .inside thel innermost casing string. Thus for instance, therefmay be three strings of casing' and a tubing. It' is necessary` to cap the upper ends of the casing strings to make the well' gas tight, and in order to take oli .the gas.'

'lhese caps or heads `areusually arranged/to support the inner string and tubing on the outer string; but it is not in this. diiculty of supporting the inner pipes but in the difi'cultyA of making a simple-'jarrangement that will make a tight joint' between the various pipesthat our invention resides. Heretofore it has been common to use packings' around the pipes and this has entailed complications and has made the well head unsafe and liable to blow out. It is a general object of our invention to provide a well' head that is simple, of smalldimensions, makes a gastight joint Without the useeof 'vice we f orm -all the yjoints by screwthreads; and the device' is so constructed and assem-` bledj` that the joints may be very' easily screwed up tight. Our invention in one ot its -fo'rms also provides facilities for the use wered into'or taken out of the well. Other objects and the features and advantages of our invention will [be best understood from the following detailed speciv 'lcation wherein ywe explain preferred forms of our device, reference for this purpose be-v 'ing had to the accompanying-"drawings whereinv f 5,

.Fig. 1 is a vertical section showing"v one "form of our device;

' Fig.4 2 is across sectioneon: of-

fwhen collar' 18 is'in. the position shown in of slips forsupporting' an inner string' of ipe, for instance, the tubing, while being,

means, such 4as a pin' 20 oripolrtl);'extendingA Fig. 4 is a cross section on line of Fig. 3.; and A Fig. 5 is a-longitudinal sectionshowing "how our devices may beu applied to several strings of pipe. d'

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2,1l show- Jtherein an outer pipe A and an innev pipe B. These may be taken to illustrate pi-pes of any diameter; -for instance, they may il tlustrate either a casing or tubing or may 11- lustrate two .sizes of casing. A'collar 10 is screwedgupon the upper end of outer pipe A and vintothis collar is'screwed the seat memberl C of the joint forming device, the other seat member D of which 'surrounds inner pipe D and is screwed tightly to it. In this particular case the upper threaded end v11 of the inner pipe is shown as being screwed upwardly through memberl D and projecting above it for making lany connectiosthat may be desired. Member D has a lower flat surface `12 that -rests on the upper flat surface 13 of member C; and member C has a cnical or tapering bore 14 into which and a collar' 18 with an interior tapered A thread 'is screwed 'down over the threads 16 and 17, these threads' being so littedthat Fi 1 its threads are tight on threads 16 eand 17 with the result thatl collar 18 not onl holds member D securely on member C li'ut also .forms a uid tight joint with bore members C and D and, the joining of 95 member C`with outer pipe A being by tight threaded' joints, and that of. member D with inner pipe B being by tight threaded joints,

ythe structure that we have described, when thus assembled,forms a tight joint between lyjholds the totheothen r The threads 16 and-17 are cut as one com.. tinu'ousta ered'thread'.. This may bedone v,by assemb g1 the parts C andl Dl for the purpose ofcutting the thread..l lTo locate ,Y 'part's G and Dwith refereneeto each other, is a longitudinal shojving rotatively, we may employ" 'any suitable Aa conical flange or petticoatl of member. 8-0, D lits. The action of these two interengage4 asv v,the two pipes, and at` the s ame time -securei Y pipes anchored one with-relation into a hole in part C. Once the two threads 16 and 17 are cut with the parts in this definite relation,then by puttingvpin 30 into its' hole the threads will always be in proper relation for collar 18 to be threaded on. The parts are very easily assembled in the position shown in Fig. 1. Member C is set upon the outer pipe A and member D set upon inner pipe B. Then inner pipe B is lowered so that pin 20 goes into its hole in member C and then collar 18 is screwed down tightly.

To take off gas between the two pipes we provide an opening at 31 in member C to which an outlet pipe 32 may be connected.

In the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the membenC1 is not provided with ta ered bore 14 and member D1 is corresponfingly not provided with the sleeve 15. Member D1 here rests only on the upper surface-of member C1; and then we use three pins 20'* setting in holes, member C1, these pins `and holes being unequally spaced so that member D1 can only be set down on member VC1 in a certain position, andthe three' pins at the same time center member D accurately im member C1.: Any equivalent means may he used; for instance, two pins 2H" not diametrically opposite each other will do, but three are preferred.

It will be noted that the only substantial difference between the forms of F igs. l and 3 is the omission of the tapered parts 14 and 15. In the form shown in Fig, 1 the -tapered here 14 maybe used to receive. slips to hold the inner pipe while it is being lowered into or raised out lof the well. This provision is particularly advantageouswith relation to a tubing; and so, although either the form of Fig. 1 or that of Fi 3 may be used between different strings o pipe, we prefer to use the form of Fig. 3 between the di'erent stringsof casing and the form of Fig. 1 between the'casing and tubing.

Thus, in Fig. 5 we show a preferred assembly to cap three strings ofcasing and a tuby ing. Here there is an outermost casingA2,

a next 'inner string of casing A1; then the innermost-casing string A and a tubing B1. Casing string A2 has at its upper end a collar 10 and into this collar themember C1 is s et. This member C1 is of the type described in connectioniwith Figs. 3 and 4. On top this member C1 there is a member D2 secured to member C1 by the collar 18 in the manner hereinbefore described, with pins2011 to align member D2 on member C1 as described in connection with Figs. 43 and 4. Member D2 is formed, not like member D1 of Fig. 3, but more like member C1 of Fig. 5; being substantially a duplicate of C1 except that C1 is formed at its lower end to screw into collar 10, while D2 is formed at its lower end to rest on C1 and to be secured thereto by tapered collar 18. Casing A1 screws into the upper end-of member D2 and its -end is in the assembled device, flush with the upper end surface 13"L of D2. When the parts of the head are being put together, member D2 will be run down on a comparatively longl thread on pipe A1 to locate D2 on the pipe accurately, and then the upper end of pipe A1 that projects above D2 will be cut o flush.

Next above member D2 is another member D2 exactly like D2 except for size. D2,rests on upper surface 13a of D2, is secured to D2 by taper collar 18, and carries pipe A just as D2 carries pipe A1; except that pipe A extends above D3 to take collar 10. In collar 10El is mounted member C, of the type ofA joint shown in Fig. 1, to support tubing B1. This needs no added description asit has been coveredin detail in connection with' Fig. l; the only difference being that tubin vB1-may be screwed into the lower part o member D. and a discharge pipe 30 screwed into the upper part of that member, instead of running tubing B1 clear through and above D.

It will be seen thatthe joints formed between the three casing strings are specifically of the type heretofore described in connection with Figs. 3 and 4; the only difference being that in this case the members D2 and.

but also'have an. upper' extension to take the' i Vnextupper member that supports the next inner casing string. And, in practice, we may prefer to use such elements or members as D2, D2, instead of the simpler ones shown' at D and'D1 because D2, D3 can be used in all situations (to head one or more strings of Ripe inside an outer string) whereas D and 1 are limited to use either with a single string inside an outer string or to the last inner string of a series. Thus, although D or D1 could be used in Fig. 5 in place of D3 we show the standard form D3 there although its upper tapered connecting threads 17 andits pin holes 201 are not-in actual use.

In the form of D2 or D3 the offset at 3211 allows the gas between strings to reach the gas pipes 32.

We have thus shown how the form of Figs. 3 and 4 may be duplicated to support more than one casing string inside an outermost casing string; and it will be apparent from this how the form of Figs. 1 and 2 may beduplicated to so support a plurality of inner casing strings within an outermostcasing string. In practice we have found it unnecessary to provide slip-ways (the conical bore 14) for the casing strings; but if those should be desired for the casingstrings the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be used in place of that shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

But for supporting the tubing B1 we refer to use the form shew?! in Figs. l 'an 2.

Accordingly, the inner casin ystring A has the collar 1()a at its upper en where it projects above member DS, and in this collar the member C is mounted; and in. and on member G the member D is mountedv and held by collar 18, all as described in connection..

n this instance, how. ever, instead ofextendingtubing Bl'above member D, we may screw tubing B1 intothe .lower part of member D- and then connect the discharge pipe inte the upper end of with Figs. 1 and. 2.

member D. y It will b e noted that our device uses no packings; `in practice one of its most advanbody having portions ofdlerent'external tageous features is that it does not require the use of any packing glands or thel like. Its screw threaded 'olnts provide at \ene and the same time Huid tight connection and secure mountings for the diierent pipes. Furthermore, the device isr very. easily and quickly assembled; and it. makes a finished.

well head of minimum height.y It also provides facilities for the. use of pipesupporting slips where desired.

Having described a preferred form of our invention, we claim:y y 1. vIn adevlce' ofthe character described, a connecting element embod lng an annular diameters, an extericlr tapered thread around itsI rtion .of Vsmaller diameter,l a seating sur. ace with a registry pin hole at its smaller'end, an exterior `tapered thread.

aroundiits portion of larger diameter, a seating surface with a registry pin at-its larger ternal diameters and one of them havin end; van internal screw thread at its-smaller end to receive a pipe,l and an internal offset providing a passage leading from the larger end toward the smaller end and communicating with a gas outlet through1 the body wall.

2. In a device for connecting three or more nested concentric pipes, an annular seating Amember of different diameters at its opposite ends, the bore of said member being 1nternally threaded to take externall threads is, adjacent the given pipe, means 'for con.

necting the other adjacent'pipe to the other of the second or third seating members, the opposite endsl off said first mentioned seating member and the, associated engaging ends of the second and third seating members having continuously threaded portions;

and continuously threaded. collars ada `ted threadably to connect said seating ,mem e'rs at` their engaging ends.

' Inv witness that we claim ythe oregoing We have hereunto subscribed our; names this 7th day of December 1922.

HENRY. P. SCANLON. L. L. .WALKER JOHN llItUTHERlORD. 

